For most of their lives, women are charged more than men for health plans in the individual insurance market. This is a consequence of “gender rating,” the common insurance industry practice of using gender to decide how much to charge for health insurance.

“Q, take off those sunglasses. I want to look in your eyes when I tell you this. You’re off the Cheerios. I can’t have a pregnant girl on the squad. You’re a disgrace.” These are the words that Sue Sylvester, coach of the school’s award-winning competitive cheerleading squad, the Cheerios, told pregnant teen Quinn Fabray at the end of this week’s episode of "Glee," the new hit Fox musical high school series.

by Joan Entmacher, Vice President for Family Economic Security, National Women's Law Center

It’s not over yet -– tonight’s Senate victory was on a procedural vote. But the overwhelming 87-13 vote to break a filibuster and allow the Senate to consider the unemployment insurance extension bill we described earlier is very encouraging.

by Katherine Beauchemin, Communication Intern, National Women's Law Center

While the health care debate rages on the National level, in Oklahoma women’s access to abortion care is being eroded by new legislation. What should be a personal choice between a woman and her health care provider is now a personal shaming placing yet another obstacle between a woman and her reproductive health.